New Uniform
by thekatthatbarks
Summary: If Ino had saved her outfit in Shippuden for later in her twenties and Sakura can't help but find it distracting.


Sakura laughed with a scream, "Ino!"

But Ino was relentless above her, straddling Sakura's waist with her hands on Sakura's stomach. She smirked down at Sakura with a raised eyebrow, "Take it back?"

Sakura shook her head defiantly and Ino leaned forward to tickle her again, when Sakura managed to shove her off of herself. For all the grace that Ino prided herself with, she fell off of the bed clutching at the sheets. Sakura's laughter died down and she peaked over the edge of the bed to see Ino on the floor.

Golden hair was painted against the wooden floor and brilliant blue eyes looked like pools Sakura could drown herself in. Ino's large chest moved as she breathed hard and Sakura noticed her shirt had rose up when she fell. Not that she wasn't used to seeing Ino's stomach. The woman loved her crop tops, but there was something about seeing it when it was _supposed_ to be covered. When Sakura's eyes wandered to Ino's pink glossed lips, she tore her eyes away and back to the bed.

She heard Ino huff from the floor, "Forehead!" She climbed back on the bed and Sakura held back a giggle at Ino's hair looking so messy.

Sakura shrugged, "I didn't _mean_ to kick you off of the bed. Not my fault you're not as graceful as you think you are."

Ino rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. Then, collapsed next to Sakura. They were quiet for a moment and then Ino turned her head to Sakura, "I can't believe you said that."

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, "Ino, I didn't mean it the way you heard it."

Ino arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow, "Oh, yeah? Then, how did you mean it?"

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, trying to think of how to put it so Ino wouldn't be mad at her, "I just said that if you walked around in that then you're going to get some _unwanted_ attention."

Ino turned her eyes back to the ceiling, "Well, who's to say it's unwanted? I'm a grown ass woman."

"Even when they try and get into your pants?" Sakura retorted, hoping Ino would disagree.

She looked over at Ino and Ino shrugged, cutting at her heart, "If they're good looking, I wouldn't mind. You know me, Sakura, I'm not the type to shy away from one night stands. I don't get why you're being so uppity about it this time."

Sakura knew why it was _suddenly_ bothering her, but she wasn't going to tell Ino that. Sakura got up from the bed and walked over to the discarded outfit that was laying on Ino's desk. She picked up the fragment, remembering how Ino looked in it, "You want to wear it as a uniform?"

She glanced at Ino on the bed, who was leaning on her elbow watching her, "Yeah. You know I've seen skimpier outfits than that on a kunoichi before."

Sakura simply nodded and Ino rolled her eyes, "I already wear crop tops in my civilian clothes. What's the big deal?"

Sakura shook her head, forcing a smile and dropping the clothes back to the desk, "No big deal, Ino. You looked good in them."

Ino looked at her confused and waved her hand, "That's it? Ten minutes ago and you didn't want me wearing them."

Sakura sighed, running her hand through her hair, "I guess I'm just a little tired. I was probably just irritable from lack of sleep."

Ino's confusion turned a little concerned, "You haven't been sleeping?"

Sakura waved her hand dismissively, "I'm fine. But I think I'm going to go home –"

"But you just got here," Ino interrupted, confusion back to her face.

Sakura stepped to the door, "Sorry, Ino. I'm just not going to be very good company. I'm going to go home and sleep."

"Okay," Ino stopped arguing and Sakura tried not to notice how disappointed she looked. _It didn't mean anything, at least not what she wanted it to._

"Later, Ino," Sakura called to her as she closed the door behind her.

Sakura sighed as she laid awake in bed that night. She was supposed to be at Ino's having a _sleepover_ like they used to do when they were teenagers. But Sakura didn't think she could handle Ino for an entire night. Not with her gossiping about the hottest catches in Konoha or her latest bedmate and her next conquest. Sakura didn't know when it exactly happened, but lately all of that talk had started to bother her. Then, she started noticing how her eyes were always glued to Ino and her mind would go blank as she unashamedly checked out her best friend. From the curves of her breasts to the swell of her hips to her toned legs. Sakura could never look away.

 _And that outfit?_ Sakura's mouth had gone dry when Ino showed it off for her in the comfort of Ino's bedroom. She'd seen Ino dress less fabric before. But it was the way the cloth hugged her. The mesh on her thighs and arms. The dip of the skirt as it hung from her lips. The purple, striking against Ino's pale skin and complementing her eyes. The shirt even covered her breast to her neck, modest in its own way. But that somehow just made it even sexier, the reasoning completely lost on Sakura.

Sakura groaned and buried her head in her pillow. _The hell was wrong with her? Thinking such perverted thoughts about Ino?_

" _Damn_ , Ino's looking good tonight!" Kiba howled at the bar as Ino walked by them.

Sakura's eyes followed her as Ino strutted over to a handsome shinobi that was waiting for her in a corner booth. Ino did look _damn_ good tonight. She had her golden hair down and painted red lips. Her dress was short and black, a hot piece of fabric that nearly every woman had in their closet. Her matching black heels clicked against the floor, giving her a couple inches that made her legs look longer than they already were. The fabric danced with her hips as she walked, teasingly and just short enough that Ino probably shouldn't bend over.

Sakura tore her eyes away when Ino finally reached the lucky man. She glanced at Kiba just in time to catch him checking Ino's ass out one last time. She had a bitter taste in her mouth and her hand came up to slap Kiba on the side of the head. He winced and turned on her angrily, "Sakura! What the hell was that for?"

Sakura levelled him with a glare and Kiba backed down, grumbling under his breath. She didn't know why she had gotten so angry at him, it wasn't like she wasn't doing the same thing. Her stomach twisted and the good mood she had earlier was gone. She grabbed her cup of sake and drowned the glass in one go. Kakashi who was on the other side of her, cocked an eyebrow, "You alright, Sakura?"

She nodded and gestured towards her now empty cup. Kakashi chuckled, but obligingly poured her more sake with the simple warning of, "Just don't overdo it."

Sakura sighed, "Thanks, but I won't. Shishou taught me a thing or two about holding my liquor."

She heard him laugh lightly and he gave her a comforting pat on her arm. She knew he knew something was wrong, not much got by him. But she also knew he wasn't one to push, not matter how good of friends they had become.

The next hour, Sakura tried to dull the ache in her chest, but no matter how clouded her mind got it didn't go away. She sighed frustrated as she heard Ino laugh again. It wasn't her real laugh, the one where she snorted and couldn't breathe, her laugh almost becoming silent. No, this one was fake and made Sakura feel sick.

She stood up from her bar stool, thankful she didn't even stumble. The guys, including Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji, looked up at her. She smiled at them, laying money on the table, "I think I'm done for the night, boys. I'll see you all later."

They gave her goodbyes and Sakura headed to the door. She was only walking for a short minute before she heard someone jog up next to her. She realized it was Naruto when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders asking, "Sakura-chan, are you alright?"

She merely nodded and leaned into him. She could practically feel Naruto frown and he told her, "I'll walk you home, you were drinking like Granny Tsunade back there."

Sakura sighed, but really it was nice to have Naruto there. He didn't pressure her into talking or talk her ear off with his rambling. They walked in silence until Sakura asked him, "Naruto, have you ever felt…like something's changed between you and a friend?"

He looked at her curiously, "Well, you're going to have to give me a little more than that, Sakura-chan."

She sighed, "Like you've known them your whole life and you've always loved them, but suddenly…it's different…a different kind of love."

"I," Naruto looked up at the sky full of stars, "I can't say I have, Sakura. I feel like my feelings have never changed like that. Just that they always _were_ that and I just didn't know."

Sakura nodded, feeling like that made more sense anyway. Maybe that was the case here, too. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Naruto sighed and Sakura looked at him to see a small smile on his face. He answered her unvoiced question, "It's not the right time."

Sakura knew who he was probably talking about and wrapped her arm around his waist, "Someday it will be."

He nodded and asked her back, "What're you going to do?"

"I don't know."

"You should tell them," he told her seriously, making her look up at him.

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because you're in pain," Naruto looked down at her and she could see a sadness in his eyes.

She shook her head and asked back, "And you're not?"

He shrugged, "My situation's different."

She couldn't argue with that and said, "Things would change."

"They could be for the better."

"But…what if they're not?" she asked scared.

"Sakura, you charge into battle without any fear and even if you do have some, you still fight, don't you? How is this any different? Don't be scared."

"I can't…I can't lose her," Sakura spoke, barely audible in the cool night.

"You won't," Naruto told her surely, not even commenting on the pronoun.

"How do you know?"

"You said you've always loved her, you've always been friends, right? And you think telling her would make her hate you, not want to be your friend anymore? No matter in what way, she still loves you, Sakura."

"When did you get so wise?" Sakura muttered annoyed, but couldn't help her smile.

Naruto laughed, shaking his head, "I'm not wise. It's just easier to point out obvious things when it doesn't involve you."

Sakura nodded, chuckling herself just because his laugh was infectious. Then, he sighed dramatically, "I guess this means you're not in love with me, huh, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura snorted and rolled her eyes, elbowing him, "Idiot."

Naruto chuckled, "Ah, well it's for the best, I guess. Since I'm not in love with you, either. But we would've been great."

Sakura laughed, hugging him now that they were at her door, "Yeah, we would've."

Naruto let her go and smiled at her, "Remember what I said, Sakura. Fight for your happiness, don't be scared."

She nodded and kissed him on the cheek, "Thanks, Naruto."

He waved goodbye to her and she stepped into her apartment, still having no idea what she was going to do.

She had been avoiding Ino as she tried to figure out how she was going to tell her, deciding to take Naruto's advice. But she only got a few weeks with no ideas, before Ino was yelling at her door pounding her first, "Sakura! _Sakura_! I know you're in there! Open the door!"

Sakura sighed, her heart rate picking up as she neared the door. When she opened it, she was welcomed with a very angry and upset Ino. Ino made her way inside, slamming the door behind her. She pointed a finger at Sakura, "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Sakura didn't know what to say and panicked, "I haven't."

Ino glared at her and stepped towards her. But even angry, Sakura found herself entranced by her as her blonde hair swayed when Ino nodded her head, "Yes, you have been!"

"Ino, I –" Sakura started and stopped when Ino took another step and grabbed her shirt in her first. Sakura felt her heart break seeing tears now running down Ino's beautiful face. She felt like an idiot as she realized. Ino wasn't angry, she was _hurt_.

" _Why_?" Ino cried, still managing a glare at Sakura, "What did I do, Sakura?"

"Nothing," Sakura told her, her voice breathless looking in to the wet blue depths that were Ino's eyes, "Kami, _nothing_ , Ino."

"You're my best friend," Ino's glare finally dropped, and she looked at Sakura helpless, "You can't just ignore me and avoid me like that without even telling me why. _Don't_ do that to me."

Sakura brought her hands up shakily to wrap around the one's in her shirt. Ino's grip loosened in her shirt under her touch. Her eyes dropped from Sakura's and she looked at the floor, "You've been acting so different lately, so distant. I don't understand what I did. Don't…don't leave me again…"

Sakura felt her heart stop at the last sentence, remembering the dragged out fight they'd had over Sasuke when they were little. They'd gone years without being friends and Sakura couldn't go through that again. She pulled Ino into her arms and the other girl clutched at her back as Sakura told her, "I'm sorry, Ino. I'm so sorry."

"So, you're not mad at me? You don't hate me?" Ino asked hesitantly near her ear.

"No," Sakura sighed, her hand buried in Ino's golden locks as she held her close, "I couldn't never hate you, Ino. I love you."

Ino relaxed into her arms and replied, "I love you, too, Forehead."

Sakura's heart beat heavily in her chest as she said, "No." Her hand went still in Ino's hair and it felt hard to breathe, but she told her, "No, I _love_ you, Ino. I-I'm _in_ love with you."

Ino pulled away from her and Sakura waited for it, her heart already twisting painfully. Then, Ino kissed her and Sakura gasped beneath her plump lips. She kissed her back, pulling her against her. She tasted like her favorite cherry lip gloss and her lips were sticky and soft. They fit against Sakura's perfectly and Ino took her breath away. Her skin felt hot underneath Sakura's touch and the feeling of Ino everywhere was almost overwhelming.

When Ino broke away from her, she was smiling, the tear streaks still on her cheeks. "Idiot. Did you think you I would reject you? I've _always_ loved you. I've been in love with you since we were little girls."

Sakura felt tears well up in her eyes, "Ino, I'm so sorry. I didn't – I didn't realize. I'm so sorry. I-"

Ino kissed her again and this time it felt comforting, the passion from earlier dimmed. When she pulled away, she pressed her forehead against Sakura's and told her softly, "I just never thought you'd feel the same way. So, I kind of gave up, tried to find it somewhere else. But my feelings never changed."

Sakura kissed her with a feeling that felt like a hunger. Ino kissed her back just as much and she felt like she couldn't get enough of her. Her fingers pressed into Ino's skin under her shirt as she held her tightly. She hadn't even realized they were moving until her knees hit the couch and she fell with Ino landing on top of her.

Ino laughed, pulling away just slightly to look into Sakura's eyes. Her gaze was soft and made Sakura feel warm inside. Ino smiled at her, her hand coming up to her face and her thumb wiping away Sakura's tears. She whispered to her, "My lovely flower, Sakura. You've bloomed so beautifully."


End file.
